Sunday, May 15, 2011

President Benigno Aquino III made a tour to the USS Carl Vinson on Saturday upon the invitation of American envoy in Manila.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier came from the North Arabian Sea where it carried the US Navy Seals who buried Osama Bin Laden after he was killed in a raid in Abbottabad by the Amercan commandos on 2 May, the PDI said.

The sea vessel, accompanied by three other ships, is scheduled to dock in the waters of the capital city on Sunday for four days for "routine port call and goodwill visit that highlights the strong historic, community and military connections between the US and the Philippines."

The American embassy gave the president and his aides a special tour to the historic vessel. There was no mention of what took place in the Pakistani town where the Al Qaeda head was killed.

Manila and Washington had been partners in fighting terrorism activities in the southern part of the country in Mindanao Island for almost ten years now through the Visiting Forces Agreement.

I reported earlier, that a group of Filipino Muslims protested in front of the US embassy in Manila on 6 May condemning the sea burial of the terrorist leader. They were dispersed peacefully by the police.